Cigarette-making machine.



R. A. SLOAN & J. E. L. BARNES.

CIGARETTE MAKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 30, 1912 Patented Mar. 10, 191;

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CIGARETTE MAKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 30, 1912.

Patented Mar. 10, 1914.

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R. A. SLOAN & J. E. L. BARNES.

CIGARETTE MAKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 30, 1912.

Patented Man-10, 1914.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT A. SLOAN AND JOHN E. LLOYD BARNES, 0F LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND.

CIGARETTE-MAKING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 30, 1912.

Patented Mar. 10, 1914.

Serial No. 687,533.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, ROBERT ALEXANDER SLOANand JOHN EDWARD LLOYD BARNES, subjects of the King of Great Britain, andresiding in Liverpool, in the county of Lancaster, England, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in or Applicable toCigarette-lVlaking Machines, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention 1s to regulate or to facilitate theregulation of cigarette making machinery of the continuous type so thatthe cigarettes produced shall conform as nearly as possible to theweight intended, and in carrying it into practice we provide a devicefor continuously weighing a specific number, say 100, of the cigarettesas they issue from the machine. In the simplest arrangement, the weightcontinuously indicated in this manner may serve as a guide to themachine operator directing him when to speed-up or to speed-clown thetobacco feeding mechanism by hand, accordingly as the weighing deviceshows that the cigarettes are coming out below or above the intendedweight. e prefer however to make the apparatus quite automatic, bycombining with the weighing device a relay device controlled by thelatter and adapted to regulate appropriately the speed controlling gearof the tobacco feeding mechanism.

1 \Ve prefer generally to arrange the device to weigh the cigarettes asthey issue from the cigarette making machine. Assuming that the numberto be continuously weighed is 100, their weight would be about 9,- lb.,and as the regulation should be within a small percentage, the balancemust be very sensitive and not liable to be interfered with by thecigarette propelling mechanism.

V'Ve have illustrated methods of carrying our .invention into practicein the accompanying drawings of which Figure l is a diagrammatic viewintended to explain the invention broadly; Figs. 2 to 6 show one form ofthe apparatus in fuller detail, Fig. 2 being a plan and Figs. 3, 4t, 5and 6 sectional elevations on the respective lines A, A, B, B, C, C, andD, D, of Fig. 2. Figs. 7, 8 and 9 show a modified construction in whichthe cigarettes are propelled along the weigh-beam by a chain conveyer,Fig. 7 being a plan, and Figs. 8 and 9 being sectional elevations on therespective lines E, E, and F, F, of Fig. 7. The remaining figures arefragmentary detail views; Fig.

10 is a diagram showing the preferred scheme of electrical connections,Fig. 11 shows a mercurial contact device, and Figs. 12 and 13 showalternative mechanisms for operating the tobacco feed regulatingspindle. Fig. 14 shows a device for indicating quantitatively thedeviation in weight of the cigarettes above or below the normal.

Referring in the first instance to Fig. 1, which as already stated ismerely diagrammatic, l is a weigh-beam fulcrumed on the knife edges 2and carrying the pulleys 3 over which the endless traveling band at isstrained. One of the pulleys 3 is positively geared to the cigarettemaking machine (without disturbing the poise as subsequently described)so that the speed of the band a is always proportional to that of thecigarette making machine, or in other words to the rate at which thecigarettes C are delivered by the cigarette making ma chine chute 5. 6is a deflector which determines where the cigarettes land on the beltand they fall OK at the other end on to a collecting belt 7 from whichthey are lifted off by the attendant. The band will obviously carry aconstant number of cigarettes, this number being determined by thelength occupied thereon by the cigarettes and the lineal speed of theband in relation to the speed of the cigarette making machine. 8 is abalance weight which keeps the weighbeam horizontal when the weight ofthe cigarettes on the band is normal; if the cigarettes should come outlighter than intended the left end of the weigh-beam will use and ifheavier it will fall. In this way a specific number of cigarettes arecontinuously weighed in transit and in the absence of any automaticcontrol the apparatus would serve as an indicator directing the machineoperator when to speed-up or speed down the tobacco feeding mechanismaccordingly as the cigarettes are shown to be coming out below or abovethe intended weight. Asstated, however, the regulation is preferablyeffected automatically by means of some form of relay and a typical formthereof of the electrical type is indicated. 9 is the tobacco feedregulating spindle of the cigarette making machine, upon which theratchet wheel 10 is keyed, and this is adapted to he stepped around ineither direction by the pawls L and H carried on the levers 11 which arelinked as shown to the cores of the solenoids L and H One ill 45 is ametal cylinder mounted by an in sulating core on the shaft d6 of theworn wheel 41; it is shown of two diameters in Fig. 10 but this ismerely for the sake of greater clearness. Four prongs or brushes makecontact with this cylinder. Of these, M bears continuously on thecylinder, L and H stand normally clear of it but are drawn down intocontact with it when their respective small solenoids L and H areenergized; the greater part of the cylinder is cut away in the line ofthe fourth brush d7, so that only a segment 45 remains. The electricalconnections are clearly sh )WD in Fig. 10.

hen the weigh-beam tion as shown in Fi slightly out of balance, theprong M can only make contact with the glass part 3?, and none of thecircuits are then closed. If the free end of the weigh-beam descendsfarther, then both prongs M and H come into contact with the conductingpart ll when the rod 39 is advanced. Immediately atte ward the brush 4L7mak-s contact with the segment 45 and the circuit is completed from thebattery 1 through wire 49, brush l7, cylinder 4.5, brush M wire 3/ partH wire 11*, around small solenoid H around is in neutral posi- 10, oronly very .2 large solenoid H and back to battery by wire 14. Thesolenoid 11 being energized, it pulls the brush H into contact with thecylinder e5, giving much better contact than is atlorded by the prongs Mand H and the part H so that the main current passe from the batter T bythe wire 49 brush all. I

segment hi brush H around small solen' id H around large solenoid TV,(which "hen makes its Working stroke), and back to be ttery by wire 14.Before the prongs retreat from the part H, the segment ill leaves thebrush 4-7 and so breaks the circuit of both the small and the largesolenoids. It will be seen that by this arrangement there can be nosparking at the prongs M, L and ii, as the current is neither made norbroken by them, and they only require to carry a current heavy enough toenergize the smaller solenoids. The action is of course similar when thefree end of the weigh-beam rises so as to bring the part L into linewith the two prongs M and L; in these circumstances the solenoid Loperates the wheel 10 in the reverse direction each time the prongs Ill,

1 L and H make their forward stroke.

The device shown in Fig. 12 for operating the tobacco teed-regulatingspindle 9 has been described in connection with Fig. l, and it is onlyfurther necessary to explain how the stroke is regulated and the pawlskept clear of the wheel teeth when not in action. 48 are adjustablesteps carried by the base of the frame and abutting below the levers 11,so that the number oi teeth taken at each stroke can be regulated. 4&9

13 may be user. The wheel 10 is now made as a worm wheel, driven by theworm 51 fixed on the shaft 52. are a pair of mi. -r wheels ridingloosely on the shaft 52 and on in opposite directions by the centralmiter wheel 5a which latter rotates continuously. 55 are magneticclutches by which either of the nnter wheels 58 can be clutched t Theelectric leads L o the shaft.

and H from the weigh-beam contact device and lei rom the battery arecoupled to the clutches as shown by rubbing contacts of the usual type,and it will be seen that when the current flows through 14C and in thetobacco feed-regulating spindle 9 will be turned in one direction, andwill be turned in the reverse direction when the current flows throughll and T ll hile no current flows, the spindle 9 remains at rest.

The contacts controlled by the weigh-beam might be in the ton of wiresdipping into mercury, but =o the well-knoi n1 objections to the use it sch contacts for prolonged service, we I tore to use the form alreadydescribed in ordinary cases. It a mercurial contact is to be used, weprefer the torn shown in Fig. 11, where 56 is a curved glass tubemounted on the .VQlZgllbeam and partially filled with mercury 57. Thetube sealed un'lcr vacuun and the three terminals lil", l and N arefused through the glass. The tilting of the tube in either directionwill obviously estiblish the electric circuits in the rexpiired mannor.

As it is desirable that weigh-beam should not merely ii licate 1e factthat the cigarettes are coming out heavier or lighter than normal, butshould also ive a quantitative indication of the amou it of the excessor deficiency in weight, we the deiice shown in Fig. 1%. This consistsot a light pointer 58 delicately pivoted at 59 on the weigh-beam nearits free end. This pointer has a depending arm 0 with a balance wei htGfl,-(er it might be controlled by a light spring), and it has a stem(32 playing between fixed banking pins 33. These pins are far enoughapart to allow the weigh-beam to swing either up or doi'n tar mough tooperate the relay before the sins abut a?" list the stem (32, so thatthe present device in no way ailects the scnsitivencss oi the automaticcontrol action. Any tun ther excess tr leficiency ot' the weight willthen be indicated by the pointer against the fixed scale G l: which mayread percen Sta Cir

The pointer might obviously be balanced on a fixed pivot, aLcl thebanking pins be fixed to the weighbeani but the arrangement shown hasthe advantage that only a single pointer and s alc are required.

in the modif cation shown in 7, S and 9, the nicttes are rolled along;the weighlicam, dine on the angles 15 there- :t1 and bei 1. repelled bythe vanes fixed pitch 0 6 running}; over l to the endles ran shesprocket wheels (37 carried in the bra -l between rette as it )csition,l1

rtween the vanes rolling for a short distance along the iiied track ('9at the end of which l on to the weigh track. it

l l and end of the they :t'all on fixed track TO t m which they Ia on tocollecting belt but to economize length we show this iiied track curvedaround so as to return the cigarettes to the lower pair of angles 15along whicl they make a return journey finally falling oti at the leftend of the iei beam track on to the collecting belt whic is not shown.The vanes are t course evenly pitched and the weigh-beam track is of theexact length to hold, say 100 cigarettes one rolling oil at the deliveryend as one rolls on at the receirinp; end. We have found. however that,owing to slight irregularities in the delivery of the cigarettes fromthe cl ".tto making; machine, a cigarette may occasionally tail to enterfairly into the corresponding space betweei the conveyor vanes, andowing; to the very rapid rate of delivcr g :11 an occurrence 's apt todisar of the following cigarettes e with the continuous and accurite\VOl'klll ot the ap )Rlill'HS. To meet diliiculty, we prefer to receivethe cigatroin the cigarette making machine chute on a t'arcling endlessband 71, and to transfer their. therefrom into the snaces bctw'rci theconveyor canes.

cam tcr i The cigates pass oil the band Tl over a iixedbrir 79, which iscurved downwardly and i lower edge *7? turned upwardly. i ie cigarettescrowded to 'ethe-r slightly ev encounte fixed 1 plate, ii any ai suuarev ss the band ti and numbed along; until they roll 3 stopped by the up'u73. lhe lower end of the l slope has a 9' the lowermost slight irregiuai:onipensated rettes shall b aline l v e n ment cndwi we provide a pairor small round or square endless traveling" bolts lying close above thecollecting hand and converging toward the delivery end, where they areseparated by h 155th of a cigarette.

at er more than the lc l hcse "lhe resolved. speed of bells conformswith that o"? the cigarettes and the latter are thus gradially pushedinto alinen'icnt a. they travel. This device may also he use :tul tormoving; he cigarettes (.KMlWlf} across the collecting belt on which 1they ultin'iately bring ther it fall, so as to L n in o a. in re con-"i'enicnt QOSllTIOl 'i'or 1'()El10\'2l by the attcnd ant.

new fully described our linen- Ll eclare that what we claim, and desireto secure by Letter 1 ateut is;--

l. in combination with a ci arctte inahinc, a wei hing: devicecomprising; an ad- 1 1 nioi'alfle part over pass in a czmtinuous at a rec J rtional to the ie machine said movable part able \vciiht icing;normally balcoinni ul :rum in such inanciearettes supported lllllQdevice is always the saint for indicating coniiiiuuiusly the pos 't thesaid movable part in rcspect to its ba anced or zero position,substantially as descriied.

2. In co nbination with a cigarette machine; a we'i'hing devicecomprising an adjustable weight and a movable part over vhich thecigarettes pass in a continuous stream and at a rate proportional to thespeed of the machine, and an organization controlled by the movement ofthe said movable part and adapted to actuate a part the movement olwhich regulates the rate of." teed of tobacco to the cigarette machine;sul'istantially as described.

In combination with a cigarette machine; a weighing; device comprising aweigh-beam and trareling eiulless belt to r ceive and transmit thecigarettes and rneans for driv c said belt at a "ate in synchrouisiuwith that oi he cigarette ma chine in such manner he number ofcigarettes pport l by s id \r' .=ighin; (!erice is alwa s the sa)stantially as described.

ln combination with a cigare te ma.-

ustahle weight and 2 which the stream an cigarettes chine ;---adevicecoir prising a mi i-bean .i belt and driving novice therefor carried bythe said scale beam, a part rotated in s' ';.'nclnronisni with thecigarette machine, and means for transmitting a torque to the weigh-beamtending only to rotate the latter about an axis perpendicular to theaxis of the knife edges thereof, and adapted to transmit the movement ofthe said rotated part to the said driving device; substantially asdescribed.

In combination with a cigarette niachine;a weighing device comprising aweigh-bean'i and conveyer belt adapted always to support a constantnumber of cigarettes and driving device therefor carried by the saidscale beam,'a part rotated in syn chronism with the cigarette machine,and a shaft located at right-angles to the scalebeam knife edge axis,and adapted to connect the said rotated part to the said driv ingdevice; substantially as described.

G. In combination with a cigarette machine;a weighing device comprisinga weigh-beam and conveyer belt and driving device th refor carried bythe said scale beam, a part rotated in synchronism with the cigarettmachine, and a universal cou pling having pivots the axis of whichcoincides with the axis of the scale-beam knife edges; substantially asdescribed.

7. In combination with a cigarette 1nachine;a weighing device comprisinga weigh-beam and a traveling endless belt to receive and transmit thecigarettes, means for driving the said belt at a rate in syn chronismwith that of the cigarette machine. and an organization controlled bythe movement of the said scale-beam and adapted to actuate a part themovement of which regulates the rate of feed of tobacco to the cigwrette machine; substantially as described.

8. In combination with a cigarette machine ;-a weighing devicecomprising a weigh-beam and conveyer belt and driving device thereforcarried by the said scale beam, a part rotated in synchronism with thecigarette machine, means for transmitting a torque to the weigh-beamtending only to rotate the latter about an axis perpendicular to theaxis of the knife edges thereof, and adapted to transmit the movement ofthe said rotated part to the said driving device; and an organizationcontrolled by the movement of the said scalebeam and adapted to actuatea part the movement of which regulates the rate of feed of tobacco tothe cigarette machine; substantially as described.

9. In combination with a cigarette ma chine ;-a weighing devicecomprising a weigh-beam and conveyer belt and driving device thereforcarried by the said scale beam, a part rotated in synchronism with thecigarette machine, a shaft located at right-angles to the scale-beamknife edge axis, and adapted to connect the said rotated part to thesaid driving device; and an organization controlled by the movement ofthe said scale-beam and adapted to actuate a part the movement of whichregulates the rate of feed of tobacco to the cigarette ma hine;substantially as described.

10. In combination with a cigarette machine ;-a weighing devicecomprising a weigh-beam and conveyor belt and driving device thereforcarried by the said scale beam, a part rotated in synchronism with thecigarette machine, a universal coupling having pivots the axis of whichcoincides with the axis of the scale-beam knife edges, and anorganization controlled by the movement of the said scale-beam andadapted to actuate a part the movement of which regulates the rate offeed of tobacco to the cigarette machine; substantially as described.

11. In combination with a cigarette machinc;-a weighing device over themovable part of which the cigarettes pass, a source of power which canbe directed to operate in either direction the device which regulatesthe feed of the cigarette machine, and means actuated by the weighingdevice and adapted to direct the said source of power so that the feedregulating device is operated in the one direction or in the oppositedirection, accordingly as the weighing device is over-poised orunder-poisec, substantially as described.

12. In combination with a cigarette machine :a weighing device over themovable part of which the cigarettes pass, electromagnetic mcans forcontrolling in either direction the movement of the part which regulates the feed of the cigarette machine, a source of electrical energyand electrical contacts some of which are on the movable part of theweighing device, connected to the said electro-magnetic means and sourceand adapted when the weighing device is over-poised to connect theelectro-magnetic means to the source so as to cause the movement of thefeed regulating part in the one direction, and when the said device isunderpoised to connect the electro-magnetic means to the source so as tocause the movement of the said part in the opposite direction;substantially as described.

13. In combination with a cigarette machine ;a weighing device over themovable part of which the cigarettes pass, electromagnetic means forcontrolling in either direction the movement of the part which regulatesthe feed of the cigarette machine, a source of electrical energy andelectrical contacts some of which are on the movable part of theweighing device, connected to the said electro-magnetic means andsource, said con tacts being adapted when closed to connect therespective circuits of the electro-magnetic means to the source; meansmoving synchronously with the cigarette machine adapted to close saidcontacts, and a circuit breaking device actuated synchronously with thecigarette machine and adapted to open the said circuits; substantiallyas described.

14. In combination with a cigarette machine ;--a weighing device overthe movable part of which the cigarettes pass, electromagnetic means forcontrolling in either direction the movement of the part which regulatesthe feed of the cigarette machine, a source of electrical energy andelectrical contacts some of which are on the movable part of theweighing device, connected to the said electro-magnetic means and sourceand adapted when closed to operate one or other of two relay lrcuitsaccording as the movable part of the weighing device is under poised orover-poised, said relays closing the respective circuits of theelectro-magnetic means, and means for inc ependently opening the lattercircuits; substantially as described.

15. In combination with a cigarette machine ;-a weighing devicecomprising an adjustable weight and a movable part over which thecigarettes pass in a continuous stream and at a rate proportional to thespeed of the machine, and pivoted indicating means articulated to saidmovable part and having a gravity piece which is in its lowest positionwhen the weighing device is in poise; substantially as described.

16. In a cigarette machine in combination ;a weigh beam, a conveyor bandcarried thereby and driven synchronously with the cigarette machine, anelectre-magnetic de vice to move the feed screw of the cigarette machineso as to accelerate the feed, an electro-magnetic device to move thesaid feed screw in the opposite direction, a source of electricalenergy, contacts on the weiglr beam, means moving synchronously with thecigarette machine and adapted to close said contacts so that the saidsource may be connected to the one electromagnet when the weigh-beam isover-poised, and to the other when it is under-poised substantially asdescribed.

17. In a cigarette machine in combination ;-a weigh beam, a conveyorband carried thereby and driven synchronously with the cigarettemachine, an clectro-magnetic device to move the feed screw of thecigarette machine so as to accelerate the feed, an electromagneticdevice to move the said feed screw in the opposite direction, a sourceof electrical energy, contacts on the weighbeam, means movingsynchronously with the cigarette machine and adapted to close saidcontacts so that the said source .ay be connected to the oneelectro-magnet when the weigh-beam is over-poised, and to the other whenit is under-poised, and a switch moving synchronously with the cigaretten1achine and adapted to open the circuits connected by the contactsbefore said contacts are opened; substantially as described.

18. In a. cigarette machine in combination ;-a weigh beam, a conveyorband carried thereby and driven synchronously with the cigarettemachine, an electro-magnetic device to move the feed screw of thecigarette machine so as to accelerate the feed, an electro-magneticdevice to move the said feed screw in the opposite direction, a sourceof electrical energy, contacts on the weigh-beam, means movingsynchronously with the cigarettc machine and adapted to close saidcoutacts so that said source may be connected to the one electro-magnetwhen the weigh-beam is over-poised, and to the other when it isunder-poised, and a switch moving synchronously with the cigarettemachine and adapt;- ed to close the circuits connected by the contactsafter said contacts are closed and to open said circuits before saidcontacts are opened; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, we atlix our signatures in presence of twowitnesses.

ROBT. A. SLOAN. J. E. LLOYD BARNES. Witnesses Josnrir E. Ernst, A. S.ALLEN.

Copier of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C.

